


Player 1 (Player Won)

by blueseawitch



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: It's more of an eldrich force of a character then a self insert tho, i dont think there are any major warning in this that are not present in the immediate game, i think thats everyone with a major cameo, i wrote a fic about the player help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 09:58:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10511445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueseawitch/pseuds/blueseawitch
Summary: In the middle of their first route, two children become aware of a mysterious force in their world.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eicas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eicas/gifts), [HybridKylin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridKylin/gifts).



_Take a deep breath. There's nothing left to worry about._  
_..._  
_Well._  
_There is one thing..._

\-------

You’re nearly halfway across one of Snowdin’s fields when that voice, (*It’s Chara.), that very annoying voice, (*Well thanks, I guess.) speaks up again. 

(*Hey, human. Maybe you should look behind you.)

You’ve been trying to ignore the voice, it talks too much in the quiet of your head and screamed at you when you hit some monsters with your stick when you got scared. But it has been helpful enough and it has never tried to hit you. It probably can’t. That’s enough for it to deserve some humoring. 

You turn and look down the expanse of snow behind you. Nothing but your footprints. You send a snap of irritation towards the back of your head for wasting your time. If it’s not a monster they can stop bothering you! 

(*No! You idiot, look at your footprints. You’ve been walking strangely while you were talking to me.)

You don’t understand that at all, but you don’t bother forming any words to express that. Walking strangely? Well who focuses on how they walk? With a flat expression, you squint at the snow. 

….Ok that is weird. Your footsteps move back and forth with unnecessary detours and backtracking. Thats….strange? You don’t remember that at all? 

(*You were focusing quite a bit on scowling at me and plotting your next murder.)

You tell the voice to shut up. 

(*Well fine. But if you wanted my advice, I’d go see what kind of pattern you were walking in. Who knows, maybe we’ve both finally lost it!)

You ignore them some more, because you know that pisses them off, and set back towards the set of odd footprints. 

(*Huh. Weird? You just walked in a circle here?)

Yes, and before that, you walked down in a line twice. 

(*And then before that another circle. Before that, one line with three little steps out and then another set of two lines but you crossed in the middle. You really like pointless shi--)

The voice freezes, the way it did when you fought Ms. Toriel or trusted the flower thing. It’s the sort of freeze that betrays fear. You send the feeling of a question at them. 

(*I….human...These are letters.)  
(* _HELLO_ )  
(*Hello. Human, why...why would our footprints say that? Who is saying hello?)

You shrug apathetically, turning back around and the voice gasps. You ask why and it gives the mental equivalent of childish excited pointing because your footprints are looking weird again. They shove at the back of your brain to investigate and you do so with a huff. 

(* _CHARA_ )  
(*Hello, Chara? But thats...thats my name? Are they talking to me?)

You ask if Chara knew any ghosts. And maybe if they could get out of your body.

(*You idiot! I’m the ghost! How would I know a ghost? You just woke me up! I haven’t been able to do anything but watch you since you fell.)

You tell them that’s not true, they’ve been doing a lot of commentating! 

(*Hah. Hah. Very funny. But really…this is…aren’t you afraid? Something is making you spell that. Something we can’t see.)

You shrug. It hasn’t hurt you. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to be afraid of something that just makes you walk a little funny. You scratch a little “HI” back into the snow with your stick. Might as well humor this voice too.

(*Well, I suppose that’s one way to make contact? Ask it what it is! This might be my big chance! This could be what woke me up!)

You’re pretty sure ghosts can wake up on their own but you shrug and scratch, “WHO ARE YOU” into the snow after it. 

Incredibly, nothing happens. The words sit there and continue to be words, despite all expectations. 

(*....Maybe you need to keep walking? It’s communicating through our footsteps after all.)

You walk another fifteen feet before the voice pipes up again, as if shocked out of a stupor. 

(*You did it! You did it again!! It was so weird it was like you weren’t even here for a second! I couldn’t talk to you!)

What a pity. But you are curious now. You crane your neck back around to see the new words in the snow. 

(* _OH YOU SAW_ and then you sort of ran in a few circles in excitement for a bit I think. Adorable.) 

You kick the snow to show exactly how adorable you are. Grr. You are the destroyer of many snow kingdoms. The voice chuckles. 

(*Well keep walking! It still didn’t answer your question!)

You’ve nearly walked the entire length of the field before Chara screams your ear off again. This time, there’s nearly a sentence written behind you. 

(* _I AM THE PLAYER NICE TO MEET YOU :D_ )

(*Who names themselves “player” anyway. That’s just so weird.)

You tell them you think the name “Chara” is pretty weird too but you weren’t going to comment. 

(*Why! You!! It’s a star! And very cool! Player is just a random title, that’s not cool at all! And don’t you think it’s weird? If they’re the “player” then what are they playing? You?)

(*I would…rather not be a pawn. I’m sure you’d agree?)

You find the idea extremely uncomfortable, but refuse to comment. There isn’t much to be gained from worrying about it. You can’t hit this player. They seem nice enough but it is disturbing you wouldn’t have even known about them if they hadn’t spelled it out for you. 

(*Yes...I agree...we should proceed with caution then. I will alert you if I detect their control.)

You nod but when you look back to try and ask another question., the field is already covered in your footprints. No more room for words. 

(*The sight of such an unfortunately filled field fills you with disappointment.)

You tell Chara to shut up again, but as the rest of Snowdin is such a mess of dogs and skeletons and puzzles that you both quickly forget about any mysterious words lying in the snow. 

 

You both quickly forget the events in the field, with so many other things to worry about. Dogs must be pet and skeletons must be dated after all. You barely think of the weird words on the field, not until much later, when you pick up a rather battered and waterlogged notebook from a cheerful old turtle. Chara seems to like him a lot, or at least you assume so from their excited squealing. You don’t care enough to ask further. You find a corner to sit down in and idly doodle over the smeared pages with a pen you grabbed from the Librarby while they chatter away about the Hammer of Justice and how cool he was. Blah blah blah. Still, it is rather soothing after a long few hours of being chased by a fish. 

You look up when you’ve realized they’d stopped talking for a long time. 

(*.....look down…)

You look down. The notebook is filled in sweet curly handwriting that’s not yours. You just started on the real hard books in school, you’ve never written this nice in your life. 

_ Hello again, Chara! It’s nice to talk to you again!  _

(*That is…..concerning…)

(*I know I said I would alert you but truthfully...I did not even notice until they had finished.)

You scrawl back. “HI PLAYER” in your big blocky handwriting. You add a little smiling heart afterwards, because they’d bothered to do one last time, and this only seems fair. 

(*Once again, you remain remarkably unperturbed by all curious events you face. I’d call it a talent if it did not worry me so much.)

_ Heehee!!! That’s so cute! Is that your soul?  _

I’ve been trying to help you...but you can’t hear me so it’s hard. But don’t worry Chara, I’m on your side! 

Reminds you of a flower. You scrawl down as much. 

_ What?? No!! I’m nothing like him! I’m sorry for falling for that, by the way!! I really thought this was supposed to be a nice game.  _

 

There is too much to unpack there for you. You sit staring at the page for a full minute. Game? Falling for that? But you fell for that trick, not Player...unless you weren’t in control? But you hadn’t felt out of control then and Chara hadn’t….Chara hadn’t known….

(*You begin to feel sick.)  
(*And personally….I agree.)

_ Oh? Was that scary? I….I’m not trying to be scary! Maybe that was a bit too much to explain… _

You scrawl down that yes, it was scary, but they should tell you more. 

(*Ask them where they came from.)  
Oh yeah, you add that on too. 

_ When you fell! It gave me an opening!  _

_ This world is just….wow! It so interesting! I had to see more! So I get to help you and see such a cool story!  _

So that’s it. They’re...curious. About your world. Which would mean they’re not from it.  
That’s almost more scary then them being some unseen ghost. What could they be then?? Chara helpfully presents the image of some sort of naked squid man. Gross!!

(*Man, no appreciation for Lovecraft? As much as I hate the guy his works are quite applicable to our current dilemma.)

(*Now, ask them if they’re controlling you. Might as well get it confirmed.)

This time, it takes longer for the words to appear. 

Um…I don’t think I should say…it's complicated?

_ You’re like what? Eight? It’s hard to tell from the sprite but…yeah I don’t wanna scare you more! So uh, nooo? Not really! Umm, just forget about this ok? ……Bye!! _

(*Well that is…...even more concerning than last time.)

You agree. 

But what could either of you do? There was nothing to do but go forward. 

\-------

The next time you hear from the Player, it’s not even a conversation. You’re fighting Mettaton EX (*OOoooh YEESSS) and he asks for an essay, of all things. 

“You’ll need your keyboard for this next question!” He crows, posing in a litany of ways you find both confusing and inappropriate. Chara jostles for control, eager as ever to try and make you do something ridiculous. You tell them you’re not going to do the Sailor Moon pose. They call you a spoilsport and send you the image of some average looking blank faced anime guy. 

(*It’s you!)

(*See? -_-)

Sighing you slide the purple glasses down and flick your fingers dismissively at the robot.

Wait.

You didn’t do that at all?

Instead, words are echoing through your mind, scrawling themselves into the air in a blocky unfamiliar font. It’s like a piece of paper was lain over your vision, but you’re frozen in place and Chara’s annoying obnoxious snickering is gone. 

**oHgOSH!!HELLOAGAINITSBEENAWHILE!HAVEIBEENTAKINGGOODCAREOFYOU??HOPESO!ITSNICETOTALKTOYOUAGAINCHARA!IREALLYLIKEYOU!!IJUSTWANTTOSAYOHNOTHETIME-**

“Beautiful! You should write a book!” Mettatons smarmy awful voice replies. 

And suddenly as quickly as it had begun, time begins for you again, your breathing and movement resuming like a paused video. Chara splutters in your head, yammering something oblivious. 

You don’t get to ask Mettaton why he responded to the player, because by the time you’ve surfaced he’s a hunk of metal at your feet, with Alphys stutter-sniffling beside you.

(*Human.)

You ignore Chara. You kick Mettaton with your feet. No response. Ha ha. What a Mettaton of junk.

(*That’s not funny.)

You know.

(*Turn back.) It’s the harshest tone you’ve heard them use, they haven’t sounded this angry since the Ruins when you…

(*Your turned back then. Do it again. He didn’t deserve that.)

But…

(*Fear is not an excuse. Do I make myself absolutely clear?)

They sound like your parents. They sound like Toriel, when she killed you. They sound like they’re about to hurt.  
With a jolt, you turn time back. Chara makes a pleased sound in the back of their nonexistent throat. You try not to hold it against them.

This time around, you know what to expect. But when your body freezed, something new crawls its way out of your brain and across your eyes.

**nice legs.**

Mettaton gasps another stupid conceited response and you only barely manage to regret killing him. 

You give his deactivated (but intact!) body a kick on your way out. Feels good. 

\-------

Asriel roars overhead, a deafening screech for Chara. You reach out again, trying to find the words Chara is so desperate to put in your mouth. You lurch forward, fingers splayed towards him. Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. You’re not that good at mercy, but this isn’t another villain. 

(*Just a kid.) Chara moans, their presence a curled little ball in your head. They feel like they’re slipping, despite your best efforts. (*Just a kid, god, oh god. Asriel. Asriel. Asriel!)

Your name is Frisk. You don’t like most people, you’d rather avoid them. You don’t like making opinions either, but the underground has forced a lot out of you. You don’t like fire. You don’t like bones. You absolutely loath lasers. You think you hate humans, just a little. But you like pie. You like puzzles and dogs and dancing. You like a weird ghost that doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.

You open your arms and [SPARE]. You don’t think you like hating anymore. You don’t think you like seeing people alone. 

But your efforts fall on deaf ears, Asriel snarls like a caged lion in a documentary you saw once. His eyes are ringed in black glunk and matted fur. He tosses his head and grins down at you wolfishly. 

“Now,” He’s hunched, shuddering. “That’s ENOUGH messing around! It’s time to purge this timeline once and for all!”

Chara barely has time to shout a warning. Asriel’s jaw unhinges, face warping, eyes melting, horror horror horror. He barely looks like a monster anymore and you barely have more than a moment to try and wrench your soul away from the void he’s becoming. 

You barely scrape by regardless. Asriel’s attack leaves you retching and gasping on the ground, trying to pull together enough hope to heal. 

“ …” Asriel blinks down at you. “..even after that attack, you’re still standing in my way? Wow... you really ARE something special. But don’t get cocky. Up until now, I’ve only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let’s see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!!

And then suddenly, the world ends, as simple as cutting a thread.

You can’t hear Chara. You can’t feel your body. You just, exist. Labored and bedraggled hanging onto threads of a power you don’t understand.

You struggle. Nothing happens. 

You’re exhausted. Your body is failing. It feels like lead. Lead, led, ahaha, a puppet. Chara doesn’t laugh back. 

You struggle again, more desperately. Your terror has given you strength in the past.

Nothing happens. 

You struggle. You reach for your save file. You don’t like this timeline, you want to go back. You don’t accept the consequences of your actions. 

Your hand closes around nothing. Nothing after nothing spills around your finger tips like nonexistent ink, it chokes you, blinds you. Your save file is empty. You cannot save yourself out of the void. 

You call out for help. 

You call out for Toriel, for Papyrus and Sans. You call out Alphys and Undyne and Asgore and every little Froggit and Pyrope and Aaron you’ve met during your journey. 

Nothing happens.

You call out for Chara. You hear a tinny half distorted laugh, like something far far away.  
(*You cannot grasp the true form of Asriel's attack!)

‘Nobody came!’ Something in your mind crows, sickeningly pleased to be right. ‘Nobody came nobody came, you will die here you little brat.’

_no._

Its barely there, it's barely anything, but there is another voice. Not yours, not Chara’s, something that's barely even there.

_no_

Something that barely exists in this world. Just like you! Chara laughs instead of you. 

_No!_ The voice repeats, despairing, not even a sound, a concept, a desire for another ending. Not like this, it can’t be like this. 

You know the voice is not you because you are not the hopeful one. Chara was monsters hopes and dreams, someone who could smile at the right times and say charming things for you. You are plodding, blank faced, violent, impressionable, useless, forgotten… 

You are…

You are Frisk. 

_!_

It hits you like thunder. You know yourself with the flinty eyes of someone past their own lies. You aren’t good, you aren’t smart, you aren’t Chara, you’re not someone's child or someone's hero or a hope for an entire race.

But you are honest and you have the ghost of someone better then you. 

You are Frisk, just Frisk, not what strange voices keep calling you and lost little boys want you to be. You are Frisk and you are tired of seeing people get hurt and hurting them back. You are Frisk and you want to live. 

Your hand finds Chara’s in the dark. 

You call out to a friend you have never met before.

Aren’t you happy? Aren’t you excited? 

You’re going to be free. 

 

 

 

You win.

\------------------------

 

You’re walking back through Snowdin in a particular patch of snow, when Chara, usually ever talkative, silently taps your shoulder. 

(* _FRISK_ )

You aren’t that surprised to see words spelt out behind you, but you are a little disappointed. You just saved the whole world after all, was whatever mysterious presence that haunted you not satisfied?

You turn and keep walking, ignoring the words behind you. You’ve learned a lot on this journey sure, and you’re thankful for..well, whatever power you felt lended to you in that last fight. Doesn’t mean you have to like whatever eldritch thing that can control you though, you haven't forgotten what happened with Mettaton. 

(* _IM SORRY_ ) Chara practically stutters around the words you leave behind you. You tear your eyes away quickly.

You’ve arrived at the end of the field. Chara nudges, still quiet. You sigh and walk back across, perhaps stomping a little harder than necessary.

(* _I DIDN’T KNOW_ )

(* _I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST CHARA._ )

You can practically feel your partner's obsession perk. They’ve been so quiet since you talked to Asriel, but this doesn’t feel better then their sulking. Asriel said they weren’t that great of a person, and you don’t know what happened on that day, if they really tried to kill. But you’ve killed already, and they haven’t held it against you, much. It seems unfair to only start judging them now.

(* _BUT ITS JUST YOU FRISK _)__

____

(* _I ONLY WANTED TO HELP_ )

The words trail off, like the voice, the Player, doesn’t quite know what to say. 

Chara nudges, burning with questions, but you push them away. Your stick collides with the snow with a satisfying crunch. 

“THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, PLAYER.” You don’t know how, but you feel like something is relieved. For some reason, that pisses you off so you quickly add. “BUT GO AWAY.”

(*Frisk!) Chara is getting antsy now, fighting in yours arms, reaching for the stick. (*Frisk they’ve got the answers!! Why do they know me, but not you?? I need to know! I need to! Don’t you want to know what we are?? What it is?? What our purpose is?)

“IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU”

(*Frisk!!)

You don’t want answers. If monsters get to be free, then you do too. You will accept nothing else. You grit your teeth and shove them off, arms shaking as you plunge it into a snowdrift.

“BUT I AM” Chara throws themselves against you like a feral thing. You do not give up. You are a horrible, spiteful, determined thing, and maybe you’ve finally found enough self worth to act on it. You know what you are now.

”NOT.” Your stick crackles, snapping with the force of your struggle. “YOURS.” 

You throw your severed stick down, hands shaking in the cold. You cover your ears to block out Chara’s wailing. You give one last look at the letters shining in the snow and stomp out of the field like a petulant child. You are a child, this is ridiculous. 

You don’t need a guiding hand where you’re going. 

 

\-------  
_Just let them go._  
_Let Frisk be happy._  
_Let Frisk live their life._  
_But…I can't change your mind, can I?_  
_You’ve probably heard this a hundred times before..._

**Author's Note:**

> This fic really isn't something I'd usually write, but it is the longest thing I've ever written for this fandom. Its got weird formatting, a strange premise and honestly I don't even know how good it is, but I'm posting it. 
> 
>  
> 
> (Eicas, you gift me a fic, I gift you one back. Sorry this took so long buddy. Not exactly Chara angst, but I figure you might have fun with our kiddo Frisk.)
> 
> (Lint, this whole fic exists because of u buddy)


End file.
